Implementing Digital Projects: Managing Change

Did you know that only 16% of employees adopt new initiatives and ways of working without assistance? That means 84% do not!

It is therefore important to provide proper guidance when introducing a new system. People need to notice that it brings benefits, that its use is not as complicated as they think, and that it ultimately yields more. Change management is a fundamental part of your digital project.

Why Start with Change Management?

Change management is the point where you actively involve everyone impacted by the digital project in any way: the so-called stakeholders. Here are a few examples:

• Management
• Product owner (project leader)
• Employees/teams
• IT/system administrator/security
• Legal department/privacy department (GDPR)

Involve these people as early as possible in discussions about the new initiative.

Note: The organization's interests may sometimes differ from those of the employees (and end users). While the latter prioritize user-friendliness, added value, and solving existing problems, the organization also deals with (strategic) organizational goals, costs, efficiency, and long-term objectives. It is important to determine the direction together. This is exactly why aligning everyone is so crucial.

How Can Change Management Help with Adopting New Ways of Working?

Change management is about the behavioral change of each individual. It involves guiding the change to ensure that everyone wants and can embrace it. This requires various forms of communication, as well as guidance in applying a new way of working through different types of training.

Take your time, make agreements, provide guidance and training, use the right communication, and remember that change is also an individual process.

How Do You Implement a Change Process?

1. Take Your Time
   Sometimes the project requires a new way of working from your colleagues; dedicate a lot of time and attention to this and start early. Changing behavior is challenging but not impossible. It helps to make it as easy as possible for your colleagues to adopt the new way of working.
2. Make Work Agreements
   What solutions does the system offer, and what agreements need to be made? Write them down and discuss them with the users.
3. Guidance and Training
   What is changing and for whom? Ensure you have clarity on this so you can provide proper guidance and training to the users.
4. Ensure Proper Communication with End Users
   How do you communicate with the end users? Determine the best way to communicate with users, whether in meetings, via email, and/or through the manager.
5. Change is Also Individual, Keep That in Mind
   Change is not just a collective process; it is (especially) also individual. Keep this in mind, including differences in predisposition and personality. Is someone an early adopter or a late follower? Use, for example, the ADKAR theory (more on this later) to move everyone in your project toward the new way of working and situation.

What is the ADKAR Theory, and How Can It Help with Change Processes?

To guide the change process (and make it easier for the group that does not easily 'adopt'), you can break the process into phases. The ADKAR theory helps with this. The ADKAR theory comes from the change management firm Prosci. It is a change theory that describes the phases of adoption: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement.

How Does the ADKAR Theory Work?

The ADKAR theory was developed by Prosci founder Jeff Hiatt, who wondered why some change processes succeed and others do not. After studying hundreds of these processes, he concluded that no matter how well-designed the changes are, human acceptance and adoption are the determining factors for success.

The ADKAR theory focuses on the human side of change. What is needed to actually work structurally with a new product (in this case, a digital project)?

If these phases are not followed, people do not understand why the project exists, do not feel the desire to use it, lack (the need for) knowledge, cannot/will not become proficient in its use, or revert to old behavior.

By incorporating the following ADKAR phases in your project's implementation, you consciously address all the steps a user must go through to ensure its success.

How Do I Apply the ADKAR Model in My Project?

The example project plan includes some elements of the ADKAR model. You can further develop this for your project. Keep in mind that a change and project plan ideally form one cohesive plan. After all, you cannot have one without the other.

The Human and Technical Side of Projects

With every project, you aim to change something, moving from the current way of working to a future way. This journey is called the 'transition.' You guide this transition by properly managing the project (technical side) and informing and training the people who will work differently (human side).

See the image below.

The Success Formula: The Change Triangle

According to Prosci, there is a kind of success formula for launching a project. This is called the Change Triangle. It is as follows (incidentally, ADKAR fits under point 4):

Digital projects therefore not only require a well-designed system but also attention to the people who will work with it.

An example of how to successfully guide your organization through a change? Read this article about how the Jewish Cultural Quarter approached it.